


In A Way

by aegontargaryenbiotch



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:25:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7975123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aegontargaryenbiotch/pseuds/aegontargaryenbiotch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>drabble, kind of<br/>Bucky's perspective of meeting Tony Stark</p><p>ignores Civil War</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fixing

He knows he needs someone competent to look at it. He knows that. But letting someone look inside of a part of him – because that is what the arm is, a part of him – and _test_ it is not something he will do voluntarily. Even with Steve by his side it’s somewhat of a march to the gallows. But for him, for Stevie he can pretend. Pretend he’s Bucky Barnes and not a lethal weapon so unstable he barely trusts himself with a kitchen knife. (That does not stop him from arming himself with at least one gun on his body with easy access – and isn’t that just so very telling?)

The workshop is roaring with loud music, brightly lit and there are screens everywhere. The workbenches as cluttered and the man amidst the mess is nowhere to be seen. Bucky spots him once they enter. Anthony Edward Stark, a name he knew even in his time with Hydra, is sitting cross-legged in front of a robot that seems to be having problems with one of its wheels. He his murmuring at it, talking to it, calming it as he gets it back to working.

He follows Steve inside and stands next to him as they wait. Soon, the dark haired man with the deft fingers gets up with a pat to what seems to be the robot’s head and sees them. He shows no sign of surprise – and by none he means none at all, no twitch in his even face, no shift in the set of his shoulders, nothing. Perhaps he had been forewarned by the artificial intelligence he had created. Jarvis is a presence that both haunts and comforts him.

Dark eyes give him a once over. Steve is spared a polite nod and then Bucky finds himself put into a chair, the arm on display, the bent and broken panels bare for all to see. He grits his teeth. Calloused hands run over his metal fingertips and somehow he mourns the absence of feeling to them. The man before him seems to know, nods to himself, mutters under his breath. Even with his sensitive hearing he does not catch the words. This man – Stark – knows his abilities, he realises. He knows and does not fear him. He must be an idiot. But he’s not. He clearly isn’t. He simply acknowledges the danger he presents and puts it aside as though it were of no real consequence. Perhaps it isn’t, he thinks, because this man puts himself in danger willingly to go save the world. (He’s seen the footage of the Chitauri invasion and he’s seen what this man will do when faced with two options – although he thinks now that there were more and he chose the one with the best outcome.)

As he sets to work he feels he does not mind his touch too much, but he does mind it. It is once the nerves have been reconnected that he finds it the most disturbing. He can _feel_ the man work. But it does not hurt. He is not in pain. How is he not in pain?

A sharp look is thrown his way as he shifts, dark eyes lock on his own and do not let him look away. It is a firm command to stay put. And if he has gotten good at anything in his life, it’s taking orders isn’t it?

Somehow, with that one look he is fine. He can sit right there and not mind at all what the man is doing. He can sit there and watch him without fear or worry. Perhaps _that_ should worry him. But it doesn’t. Because here, amidst the clutter and loud music he feels calm, so calmed that he doesn’t think he wants his arm fixed in a mere hour, but days.

 


	2. Fixing continues

Why is it that when he stumbles out of his room after waking from a nightmare he finds Stevie’s bedroom empty and the kitchen occupying a Stark? This is Stevie’s apartment in Brooklyn and not one of the tower floors. Why is Stark there in his impeccable suit, staring at him like he is a thing that needs fixing?

Dark eyes beckon him closer as a head is cocked to the side. He stumbles towards the man with the brilliant mind, stumbles and is caught by two strong arms connected to a strong set of shoulders that take almost the entirety of his weight effortlessly. A sound erupts from the chest he has his head leaning against and he hopes it never stops. The tune is not familiar, but soothing, calming. The scent is familiar (motor oil, hot iron, coffee) and soothing. The metal beneath his cheek…

He rights himself and apologises. He’s not usually so…

He receives a stare, then a cocked eyebrow. He is to let Steve know Stark was there. He is to come by whenever he feels the need. He is to call whenever he wants to hear a friendly voice. He is to look him in the eyes and tell him he would not like to return to their previous position until he is calmed entirely.

He lies. Dark eyes narrow. He is surprised to find them unyielding. He has been pretending perfectly for Stevie, why not him?

_Don’t try to kid a kidder, kid._

He cannot help but smile. He tells him he is by far older than Stark and receives a laugh for it. But he has not lived his years, has he? He tells him his kill count should stand for something. He’s not aware of the mass murderer in the room? He… has no more arguments.

He finds himself roped into listening to the man talk about a spice’s new plan of forcing him to attend the next gala by making Stevie go without support from Natasha and how hopeless he is with all the attention and realises halfway through his second cup of coffee that pepper is in fact a person.


End file.
